The Story Behind Hands Crafted
Creativity has always been part of my story, but Hands Crafted is where that passion truly found its home.
How Hands Crafted Began
Nearly 16 years ago, I created a Facebook page simply to share the things I was making with friends and family. Back then, that meant knitting, sewing and my first attempts at making bags. I never imagined that little page would eventually grow into what uNiquely Hands Crafted is today.
As my skills developed and my work evolved, the original name no longer felt like me. Hands Crafted was the natural starting point for something new — my name is Monique Hands, and everything I create is handcrafted, so it seemed rather perfect.
The uNiquely came from something much more personal. I’ve heard “Unique Monique” more times than I can count, and for years my nieces and nephews have called me Aunty Niqui. The capital N in uNiquely is a little nod to them — and to the individuality that has always been part of what I create.
Today, uNiquely Hands Crafted brings together three very different collections. The original uNiquely Hands Crafted Collection is colourful, creative and full of personality. Legacy Re-Crafted transforms treasured clothing and fabrics into bags, lap blankets and Huggable Memories that can continue to be loved. Lynne explores another side of my creativity, with a more refined, designer aesthetic.
The styles may be different, but the approach behind them is the same: quality materials, careful construction, attention to detail and pieces made individually by hand here in New Zealand.
And that’s how uNiquely Hands Crafted was born — and continues to evolve.